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Quiet to the core, Jay Bouwmeester normally recoils at the mere sight of television cameras darkening his locker stall.

But the Calgary Flames defenceman looked positively relaxed Monday chatting with reporters after the morning skate in his hometown of Edmonton.

“You hear about it,” a chatty Bouwmeester was saying of the rampant speculation surrounding his immediate future. “You can’t really avoid it. But I think sometimes it’s easier to separate the truth from the rumours.”

Perhaps Bouwmeester knew something the rest of the world didn’t, as the Flames shipped the smooth-skating blueliner to the St. Louis Blues an hour before puck drop against the Edmonton Oilers.

Coming back the other way: the 2013 first-round pick belonging to St. Louis (deferred to 2014 and adding a 2013 fourth-round pick should the Blues fail to qualify for the post-season), minor-league defenceman Mark Cundari and Swiss goaltender Reto Berra.

The deal comes five days after the Flames dealt captain Jarome Iginla to Pittsburgh for a 2013 first-round draft pick and two college prospects.

The deal comes mere hours after news broke that the Flames granted permission to the Toronto Maple Leafs to talk directly to Miikka Kiprusoff about a deal that would reunite the Calgary goalie with Dion Phaneuf.

Kiprusoff (temporarily) quieted the rumours Monday night by leading the Flames onto the ice at Rexall Place. He proceeded to surrender two goals on the first two Edmonton shots and three on six shots before receiving the hook at 16:38 of the first period.

In reality, the only game that matters this week for Calgary is the one quarterbacked by Jay Feaster in the executive board room as the general manager wheels and deals established players for picks and prospects.

These are the facts of life in the start of a massive rebuild – and that’s what this is – for a team ranked 28th in the 30-team National Hockey League.

“It’s a case where we can’t continue this way,” Feaster said Monday night during the second intermission. “Missing the playoffs isn’t acceptable.

“If anybody’s guilty of anything, it’s me. I put too much credit in the kind of runs that we were able to fashion when I took over as interim GM again and last year. We fell short.”

Bouwmeester signed in Calgary in the summer of 2009 with the billing of a minute-munching defenceman and difference-maker on both ends of the ice.

In 750 career games, Bouwmeester has collected 71 goals and 300 points. He is the NHL’s reigning ironman with 621 consecutive games play – a streak that will survive because the Flames and Blues completed the transaction Monday before game time.

In 33 games this season under Bob Hartley, a reinvigorated Bouwmeester registered six goals and 15 points in Calgary silks.

On March 11, Feaster approached Bouwmeester in Los Angeles and the pair talked about the possibility of a trade. Four days later, Bouwmeester’s agent submitted a list of teams acceptable to the former Canadian Olympian.

With one year remaining on his contract at $6.67 million, Bouwmeester’s contract scared off some teams. But the St. Louis offer convinced Feaster to pull the trigger.

An interesting stat: over his career, Bouwmeester is a combined minus-13 in the months of October, November, December, January and February. In March and April, he is a combined minus-52.

With the move to St. Louis, Bouwmeester hopes to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in his career.

The Flames, meanwhile, continue to plummet down the standings, as fans make themselves feel better with visions of a lottery pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

Here in Edmonton, the Oilers can’t help but smile over the demise of their provincial rival.

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